(no subject)

[abigailbrady]

Watching live8 and reading Misspent Youth now (which was recommended by milkyeyes). Sci-fi set in Rutland (I see the author is from there). Mentions of Oakham and Uppingham and Stamford and Peterborough and Melton Mowbray and the A47. I suspect if Leicester itself is mentioned though it will be in a bad way... they don't like us, those Rutlanders.

Update (at 0840am) : Finished this now. Quite a fun light read. Ending was obvious. Not convinced by characterisation of Jeff Baker, he seemed in the end not really any different to Tim and his peers. Is the moral that experience doesn't really affect you?

Comments

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I think Peter F. Hamilton is a hack, but he's an entertaining hack all the same. Misspent Youth is probably his weakest book. The Mandel books are indeed a lot of fun, so long as you don't take them too seriously. The Night's Dawn Trilogy is also fun (how about a \
zombie bodysnatching Al Capone in space, anyone?). Or for other gothy SF, check out Alastair Reynolds, though he's also a bit of a hack!

I rather prefer Greg Bear's loosely connected series Queen of Angels/Slant/Heads/Moving Mars. But if you want the *really* good stuff, go for Iain M. Banks any time. Pick anything -- they are all consistently good, but the Culture series is superb. My personal favourite is (non-Culture) Against a Dark Background.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

Love Banks's stuff. Will try other stuff when I've finished my pile. ;)